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JFAC approves judicial pay increases and new judgeships, adds court resources and IT positions
Summary
The committee approved judicial compensation increases and additional judicial resources, including new district and magistrate judgeships and court reporters, and funding to complete IT staffing. The package ties to companion bills that would add the judgeships.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on March 12 approved enhancements for the judicial branch that include salary increases, new judgeships, court reporters and additional IT positions.
What passed - The committee approved a FY2026 package totaling $5,190,300 from the general fund and six additional full-time-equivalent positions. The appropriation breaks down on the motion record as: $3,870,000 for judicial compensation (the motion referenced House Bill 322 or 'HB322' as the compensation vehicle) and $1,242,400 for judicial resources tied to new judgeships and court reporters; a smaller enhancement ($77,900) funded IT positions that were partially funded in FY2025. - The compensation increases described in committee materials and the motion would implement the proposed increases in the companion bill: 10% for Supreme Court justices, 10.5% for Court of Appeals justices, 10.9% for district judges and 11.5% for magistrate judges. The motion also included funding to add one district judge in the First Judicial District (Coeur d’Alene area) and one district judge in the Seventh Judicial District (Bonneville County), along with two magistrate judges (one in the Fifth Judicial District/Twin Falls and one in the Seventh Judicial District/Idaho Falls) and the associated court-reporting support.
Why it matters: the compensation increase aims to address judicial pay competitiveness and to staff judicial dockets where caseloads require additional judges and reporters. The committee recorded a combined vote in favor and will carry a due-pass recommendation.
Votes and outcome: the motion passed with a combined committee recorded total of 17 ayes, 3 nays, 0 absent/excused; the committee chair noted accompanying trailer bills and statutory language may appear in agency budgets going forward.
Sources: Judicial branch presentation to JFAC (Mr. Bybee), committee debate and roll-call vote recorded in the March 12 transcript.
